Apple Cider Donut Oreos - A taste of Fall in the dead of winter

Playing catch-up before we are bombarded by a slew of new Oreos. 

Are apple cider donuts a universal fall item? I always thought it was a niche east-coast-thing, so I was surprised this flavor had such a wide release. Growing up we always associated cider donuts with local farms and pumpkin patches, and as a kid I just thought they were stale cake donuts dipped in cider and sugar to give them a refresh and apple flavoring, but that is obviously not the case (otherwise they would be soggy.) 

These were released fall 2021 and while I do have a fondness for cider donuts, I usually hate Oreos take on apple flavoring. (I find it chemically and gross.) I wasn't going to go out of my way to find these flavor, and then they popped up at Aldi of all places. With it being right there I thought, why not?

Sparkling Summer Seltzers in the Snow - Summer 2021 Polar Flavors

These were the summer 2021 flavors (I think), so they're not available anymore, but I wanted to review them anyway. 

 

This is a flavored seltzer, so does it taste like soda? No. Will it satisfy a sweet tooth craving? No. Would I ever mistake this for a cocktail? Also no. But I like it. Seltzer, is light, bubbly, and has just enough aroma/flavor to change things up from my usual filtered water or citrus-flavored seltzers. I saw a comic online somewhere that joked that when you like seltzer you're official old/dying. R.I.P. me and my youthfulness.  

Clearance Cookie Candy - Sugar Cookie m&m's

I pride myself on pretty good foodie-judgement, and I hate wasting money. If I think something sounds gross, or hyped, or scammy, I'll just skip it.

Like Swedish Fish Oreos. 

I like Swedish Fish, I like Oreos, I even like chocolate covered Swedish Fish, but when Oreo released a Swedish Fish flavor I skipped it. Knowing how they executed fruity flavors in the past...I just didn't think it would be a good time. Meanwhile other people bought them and tore them to shreds. Which is fun, because making jokes gets views, but sometimes I just rather not feed into the gross food-waste machine. Unless they go on sale. 

If these were full price, I never would have bothered with them, but post-holiday clearance? I'll allow myself a dud or two. So, sugar cookie m&m's: actually worth snacking on? Or just hyped up crispy-m&m gimmick? 

Clark Cups - Quickie Review

 

Quickie review because 1: I didn't even know Clark Bars were still around, and 2: I didn't know it came in cup-form. 

A quick google search revealed this really interesting article, from 2019, back when Clark Bars were saved from extinction. The new company that acquired the recipe weren't exactly given all the facts, so they produced a lot of misshapen bars. Apparently, in an effort to use the ugly, but still delicious bars, they made these Clark Cups and started rolling them out in stores in PA. I'm all for finding ways to minimize food waste, and I love crispy peanut butter products (I still miss Butterfinger BB's), so this sounded right up my alley. 

Garlic Bread Flavored Almonds with Croutons? (And Honey Citron Flavor, too!)

Garlic Bread and Lemon Citron Almonds - Hung Vuong Food Market 

The last two Gilim Tom's flavors I reviewed were a lot of fun, and after learning about how many variations they have to offer, I was looking forward to trying even more. On my most recent trip to Hung Vuong Food Market, I grabbed Honey Citron and Garlicbread. Let's see how these compare!

Gourmet Cotton Candy - (One Flavor Kicks my Butt)

Carnival Sugar Cotton Candy

These were actually sent to me as a gift, which is awesome, but they were a little worse for wear upon arrival. Shipping things, especially food stuff, is just so chaotic right now. But, they're still good to go, so I'm going to power on through!

Blurred Limes - A Trio of Lime Themed Reviews

3 Lime Reviews 

I freaking love lime, and I also love putting a dent in my foodie backlog, so today we have a triple dose of citrus. (No need to worry about scurvy!) Three lime products, one a returning classic, compared to two limited edition releases. Which is best and how do they rate on a scale of 1-10 in terms of lime-y-ness? We shall see!

My Kind of Shots - Doritos Crack Pepper Chicken Flavor Shots

Doritos Flavor Shots Crack Pepper Chicken  - Hung Vuong Market

Are Flavor Shots still sold in America? The Frito-Lay website only lists one flavor, Fiery Habanero Triangles, but when you click on it, they're not available for purchase locally or online. I guess they're discontinued state-side? Which goes to show how much attention I pay to Doritos these days.

I can never find new products in my area (RIP Wasabi and the Tangy Cool Ranch flavors I never got to try), and when I do fall in love with something new and interesting, it's discontinued, like my beloved Collisions series. Frito-Lay is like the Bath & Body Works of the snacking world, as soon as you fall in love with something new, it's gone. (But they'll have Japanese Cherry Blossom FOREVER.) 

I've had no luck with American Doritos flavors, but what about a Taiwanese one?